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Moray eels have a second set of “jaws” at the top of their throats, reminiscent of the movie Aliens. A study has shown exactly how the double-jaw action works during feeding. While most fish use suction to eat (suddenly expanding their mouths to grab food and water together) moray eels use the unique second set of jaws to secure food in a method unlike that in any previously studied animal.
When a moray eel feeds, it grabs food with the toothy main jaws, then (within fractions of a second) the secondary jaws come forward from the throat and sink in. As it releases the main jaws the secondary set retracts to the throat to allow the eel to swallow the item.
Some other fish have a similar set of secondary jaws for chewing or crushing, but none is so mobile. The adaptation may be in response to confined hunting spaces, where rapid expansion for suction are impractical.
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